The present invention relates to the field of chemical applicators, and more particularly to applicators operating under pressure conditions both ambient and pressurized, for the delivery of plant nutrients and treatments which are commercially available in a more concentrated form than is required at application as a dilute form of the concentrate.
In the botanical maintenance field, workers are called upon to apply a wide variety of chemicals to flora throughout the course of a busy work day. At the worse case, a worker needs to obtain a concentrated supply of a needed chemical or nutrient, measure a given amount of the concentrated nutrient into a container, add makeup diluent, typically water, to a level necessary to make up the final concentration, and then close and put away the concentrated supply container.
In terms of time, the worker is required to take a significant amount of time in pouring, measuring, or weighing the concentrated chemical, and in retrieving, handling, and restoring the concentrated chemical containers. Further, the process is not only wasteful in terms of time, but it is likely to be messy and produce significant spillage over a period of time. Further, where the concentrate is left at the xe2x80x9cfill sitexe2x80x9d, a number of further problems arise. Any time that concentrate is left at the job site, hose bib, or utility sink, the disadvantages multiply. Functionally it means that the user must return to the site, and that if extra time had not been taken spills contaminate the site. Secondly, leaving chemical at an additional site can lead to liability if third parties come into contact with either the containers or the spills.
Spillage creates further negative impact from lost concentrate, the waste associated with clean up from paper towels disposed of and rags which become soiled more quickly, and most importantly from the increased contact with the chemical or nutrient in its concentrated form by the worker. Many of the chemicals and nutrients are harmful to workers, especially in their concentrated state. Spillage directly onto the skin of the worker is a particularly dangerous problem, with the degree of danger dependent upon the type and concentration of the chemical in question. Carriage is also a problem. Where a worker has one or two containers of concentrated chemical or nutrient which comprises the main ones of the materials to be used throughout the day, having to separately handle the concentrated material containers in addition to the main applicators, requires additional worker attention, time and trouble. Taking up the attention of the worker when his or her attention should be directed elsewhere enhances the danger potential, especially around plants where a worker could be injured upon impact by the plant.
What is needed is a system which frees the worker from having to worry about handling and spillage, especially with regard to the concentrated chemicals and nutrients which are used most often. The needed system should include ease of dispensing and re-stocking of the concentrated chemicals to eliminate worker handling and the associated negative impact of spillage. The end result of the needed system is reduced time for measuring, mixing and diluting, and increased worker safety, as well as to promote ease of usage so as to remove the barrier for people to feed their plants regularly. The needed system should also increase the time and ease of mixing and where possible prevent inadvertent spillage of concentrated chemicals and nutrients.
The system of the present invention includes the provision of a support of accommodation space on a gravity feed watering device or on a pressurized applicator to both provide storage for concentrated chemical containers, and metered measurement while eliminating waste, make up time and minimizing contact between workers and the chemicals or nutrients in their concentrated state, and to encourage and facilitate the regular feeding of plants, by reducing the trouble and bother associated with feeding plants to increase the regularity with which plants are fed and watered. The aforementioned mechanisms hold true for both commercial workers and home plant enthusiasts, especially hobby growers. Further, the invention makes it less dangerous to bring concentrated material into sensitive areas such as hotel lobbies and restaurants, common atrium areas and similar surroundings where minimum exposure is desired. In terms of commercial workers, the invention should reduce the liability while workers are on the job site by keeping chemicals from children and by reducing or eliminating what would be a further mixing station for the concentrated chemicals.
In normal usage, concentrated chemical or nutrient containers are stored in a position near the periphery of the entrance of the device, typically a watering device or applicator. From an initial empty state, displacement dispensers atop the concentrated chemical or nutrient containers applicators are activated to meter a pre-determined amount or multiples of such amount of concentrated chemical or nutrient into an opening of the device. Typically water is then added under flowing pressure into the opening to cause the metered chemical or nutrient to become mixed upon the rapid gravity introduction of the water or other mixture forming liquid.
Structure may be provided to prevent further concentrated chemical or nutrient from being dispensed and may include structure on the general device which blocks metering of the concentrated chemical or nutrient, or blocking members may be placed directly on the concentrated chemical or nutrient containers, or upon structure connected with the main applicator housing which supports the concentrated chemical or nutrient containers. In the alternative, a raised concentrate reservoir may be combined with a catch bib to insure that all chemical is either dispensed directly into the reservoir or collected in the bib for drainage into the main reservoir.
The manner of integration of the concentrated chemical or nutrient containers into the main applicator can be controlled in accord with shape to achieve important objectives. These objectives may include permitting or encouraging the use of generally compatible chemicals by integrating the container sizes to fit within a provided space. Chemicals which should never be used together can be placed in containers which will not physically fit within the support space, for example.
Container support and holding spaces may be configured to secure shapes and designs which are in existence or which may be in existence. In some cases, the size of the accommodated containers may be 7.5 inches, 8.5 inches, to 10.5 inches tall. The accommodated containers may be round or cylindrical or triangular or curved edge rectangular. The typical major width dimension may be 3.5 inches, 4 inches 4.5 inches or 5.0 inches. A typical minor width dimension may be 1.5 inches, 2.0 inches to 2.5 inches. The volume of the liquid containers may be from eight ounces to sixteen ounces to almost 40 ounces.
It is also contemplated that the applicator devices have support spaces which may specifically match with a concentrated chemical or nutrient container and in which the overall capacity of the applicator structure matches with the volume of concentrated chemical or nutrient metering capability of the concentrated chemical or nutrient containers. This opens further the ability to match concentrate containers with applicators. In some cases the accommodation space can be maximized to, in essence, provide an applicator with expanded concentrate containers. This in turn can enhance the use of applicators which are built around a single or even two or three concentrate containers.